Coupling



- Aug. 9, 1949. T, KRAPP 2,478,586

COU LING Filed Dec. 12, 1946 l/IJ i INVENTOR rfomv HPAPP g mwr ATTQRNEY5Patented Aug. 9, 1949 f p 2,478,586. PL N Johxrl: Kmpin t Washington, NeY.-

Application, December 12, 13.46; Serial No, 715, 22

This application relates to improvements in coupling devices suitablefor coupling conduits and the-like, and has for an object the provisionof: a quickly attachable and quickly detachable coupling, which employsin a socket member, cam means having surfaces: adapted'to- [beengaged-'- by an insertable member for clearing a passage for thelatter, said cam means having spring means and other surfaces whichunder the urge of said spring means engage said insertable member andforce it endwise therein against a seat in said socket member to effecta fluid tig'ht seal therewith. o a r This application a continuation inpart of application Serial No. 684,233; filed on July-- 17, 1946, anddiffers from said application the shapes of the cam means and theprovision of spring means to force the insertable member againstthe'seat in said socket member, instead of'the hand manipulated leversshown in theearand having otherpertions'of its-surface adapted to engagesaid annular surface formed in said insertable member to effect saidend'wise move- 5 ment and thereby establish-a flui'd tig-ht seal betweensaid members capable of withstanding substantial pressures.

-Yet another object of the invention is the pro vision of a coupling ofthe character described in which the socket member and the insertablemember may be manually engaged-1 said socket member including springloaded cammeans adapted to the displaced by the engageable member toprovidea path to said seat and thereafter to engage and force saidinsertable member against said seat, said cam means eacnbein'g-prov-idedwith a lever adapted for manually exerting greater pressure of theinsertable member against said seatand the second lever for disengagingthe cam from said insertablemember to enable an operator toseparate anddisassociate said members. H

Other objectsandadvantag'esof-the invention 7 Glai'ms. (Cl. W153);

astu-dy ofthe following specification and the ac companyingdrawings,which are given by way or example, to illustrate the invention.

In the drawings: V

Figure l; is a sectional elevation ot my new and improved coupling,showing: the socket member and the insertabl'e member-engaged witha-fluid tight seal established between said members;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the coupling shown in Figure 1-; I

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the insertabl'emember as. itfirst. engages the cam means as its end is beinginserted in the socketmember 1 r Figure 4" is: a fragmentary view, similar to- Figure 3,except that the insertable member has. displaced the cam to provide apassage for itself into. said socket. member and the insertable memheris shown in such position that the clamping lobe of the spring loadedcam will next engage annulargroove formed on the insertable membeer andthereafter force the insertable member endwise against the seat in thesocket member;

7 and Figure 5' is an exploded view, showing thecam and the springsoppositely disposed on. the axis thereof-'forurgingthe cam in adirection: to force the insertable memfber againstthe seat invthe socketmember.

Referring first to Figures: 1 and 2-; an insertable orplug member I'llhas a body portion l!- which: may have a polygonal. exterior" and aportion I2 of reduceddiameter, which constitutes the plug portion ofsaid member. The plug portion I12 has, lower end rounded .or beveled atThe purpose of: this: bevel. will be presently described. Spaced"upwardly from the lower end thereof, the plug portion has. a curvedannular groove M; formed: therein. and this groove is adapted to beengaged by and cooperate with camming means. which will presentlybedescribed. A: concentric passage [:51 is formed. in the me??- 'berI11. and forms afluid passage theretlirough. The upper end of: themember I0 has a counterbore l6 therein which communicates with thepassage l 5, and this counterbore is provided with threads t1 adaptedtobe used for connecting the member l flito a hoseor other conduit,either-flexible or rigid,- leading to a pointof: use. Since it isobvious that: any other means for connecting the member I'll to anydevice for use may be 7 provided, I am not limited solelyto the use ofwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from 55 threads forconnecting the member I10 The: socketmember, generally designated bythenumeral l0, has'aabodyportion lwwithi apaspsage 26 formed therein,the diameter of which is slightly larger than the plug portion I2. Bymaking the passage 20 slightly larger than the plug portion I2, thechances of binding when the plug member is inserted therein iseliminated, particularly in view of the fact that the plug portion has abeveled or rounded end i3 formed in the body portion l9. oppositelydisposed in the passage 20 are slots 2| and 22 which communicate withthe interior 2|] thereof.' The edges of the slot 2| are continuous withthe inner edges of spaced bosses or lugs 23 and 24. Likewise, the edgesof the slot 22 are continuous with the inne edges of spaced bosses 25and 26. l

The body I9 has a portion 21 of reduced diameter and carrying threads 28for use inconnecting the body member to a conduit or the like.- Withinthe body I9 is formed an annular groove 29 counter-clockwise directionand at the same time to cam the lever 41 in a clockwise direction, andthereby to bring a second lobe portion 55 in alignment with the diameterof the lower end of the insertable member, so that it may be enteredinto the socket member, as shown in Figure 4. When the socket member hasreached the position shown in Figure 4, it may be pressed downwardlyuntil its lower end is in contact with the sealing ring 30. As soon asthe lower portion of the plug member passes the lobe portions 54 and 55,the annular groove [4 is encountered by the lobe portion 54 and thesprings on the lever 3| urge it in a clockwise direction, and therebyforce a fluid-tight seal. At the same time, the cam on adapted tocontain a sealing ring 30. The diameter of the annular groove 29 issubstantially larger than the diameter of the bore There fore, an areaof the body containingthe bore 20 overhangs the groove 29 and therebyprevents the sealing ring 30 from becoming displaced.

The lever 3|,which is also shown in perspective in Figure, 5, has a bossportion 32 with a bearing hole 33 formed therein. From the left face(the face shown in ,Figure 5) the boss portion has a counterbore 34formed therein leaving a small boss 35 concentric with the-hole,33. Asimilar counterbore 34a' (seeFigure 2) isformed on the opposite face ofa boss portion 32 and this counterbore is preferably concentric with thecounterbore 34. A hole 36 is formed inztheweb between the twocounterbores and communicates with both of them. A springtl hasone end38 bent to parallel the axis of the spring and adapted to engage thehole 36 when the spring 31 is positioned in the counterbore 34. ,Thespring ,3] also has its other end 39 bent to parallel the axis of thespring and when the lever 3| is positioned between the bosses 23 and 24,theend 39 of the spring engages a slot 46 formed in the boss 23. Asimilar spring 4| has an end 42 bent to parallel the axis of the springand when the spring 4| is in position in theicounterbore portion34a,'the end 42 also extends into thehole 36. The end 43 of the spring4| is also bent to parallel the axis of the spring and when the lever 3|is in posi tion between the bosses 23 and 24, engages a slot 44 formedtherein. The combined urges of the two springs tend to rotate the lever3| about a pin 45 extending through the hole 33 thereinand throughcorresponding aligned holes in the bosses 23 and 24, in a clockwisedirection, as seen in Figure 1. A similar arrangement of springs incounterbores formed in the hub 45 of the lever 41 tends to urge thelever 41 in a counter-clock wise direction, as seen in Figure 1. Thespring in one side of the counterbored lever engages a slot 48 formed inthe boss 25 and a spring in the opposite counterbore has an end whichengages a slot 49 in the boss 26. The lever 41 is jou'rnaled on pin 5|),which extends therethrough and through correspondingly aligned holes.formed in the bosses 25 and 26.

The lever 3| has an upper arm 5|, anda lower arm 52, which preferably isdisposed at an angle greater than ninety degrees with respect to the arm5|. Preferably formed integral with the hub portion 32 of the lever 3|is a cam 53. This cam has a lobe portion 54 which, as may be seen inFigure 3, is first engaged by, the beveled portion 13 of the insertablemember |0, and the function of this lobe portion is to cam the lever 3|his,

the lever 41, urged in a counter-clockwise direction, also acts againstthe groove I4 to augment theaction of the cam;on the lever 3L; deformingthe sealingring 3n-;and effecting said seal;

-.The lever 47 is provided with an arm 56 like the arm 5| on the lever3|,and an arm 51, like thearm 52. The cammed surface 53 is so shapedthat after it engages the groove I4, the more the lever 3| is urged in aclockwise direction by its springs, the more deeply is the end of theinsertable member |5pressed into engagement with the sealing ring30,-and' although the act of insertin the insertable member into thesocket member |8, in the manner abovedescribed, will effect afluid-tight seal for holding pressures of fluid mediums up to apredetermined high, the arms 52 and 51 may be manually pressed inwardlyto effecteven tighter seals, capable of holding pressures; approachingthe safety factor of the device.

. In order to disengage the members I!) and I8, the operator presses thearms 5| and 56 toward the device, thereby disengaging the/cams 53 and53a from the annular groove l4, so that the insertable member I6 isfreed and may be readily lifted out of the socket member l8. 7

While the invention has been described in detail with specific examples,such examples are illustrative and are not given as limitations, sinceother modifications within the spiritand scope of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art. 'Hence, the invention is to beunderstood as limited only as: indicated, in the appended claims, inwhich .the'intent is to set forth all the novelty over the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In aseparable coupling device, a tubular insertable member having aseating face on one end thereof and an external bevel terminating atsaid end, a socket member including a tubular portion having an internalshoulder, a gasket on said shoulder adapted to be engaged by saidseating face, spring loaded means on said socket member including a cammember extending into said socket member and adapted to be engaged anddisplaced by said end of said plug member when the latter is inserted,to provide a path therein for said seating face to traverse as it ismoved.- toward' said gasket, and means on said plug member adapted to beengaged by said first mentioned means and forced into tensionalengagementwith said gasket under the urge of the spring load on saidfirst means. 1 2. In aseparable coupling device, a tubular plug memberhaving a seating face on one end thereof and an externalbevelterminating at said end, an annular arcuate groove formed on said memberin spaced relation to said end, a socket member having a tubular portionwith an internal shoulder formed therein, a gasket positioned on saidshoulder and adapted to be engaged by said seating face when said plugmember is inserted therein, and spring loaded cam means on said socketmember extending into said tubular portion and adapted to be engaged bysaid bevel on the end of said plug member when the latter is insertedand displaced to provide a path therein for said plug member to traverseas its seating face is moved toward said gasket, said cam means beingadapted under the urge of its spring load to engage said annular grooveand force said seating face into tensional engagement with said gasket.

7 3. A separable coupling according to claim 2, in which said springloaded cam means is comprised of at least two cams oppositely disposedin said socket member and individual spring means on eachimpartingrotative urges thereon in a direction away from said shoulder.

4. In a coupling wherein the end of a plug member is forced into sealingengagement with a gasket positioned on a seat or shoulder within atubular portion of a cooperative socket member, cam means journaled inthe wall of said tubular portion and adapted to be rotatively moved bythe end of said plu member to a position providing a path therein forthe plug member to be moved into contact with said gasket, spring meansenga ing said cam means and said wall and normally urging said cam meansrotatively in a direction away from said seat, said cam means beingnormally positioned so that as said pulg is inserted, its end engagessaid cam and rotates the same to a position providing the path in saidsocket member as aforesaid for said plug member to traverse as its endis moved toward said gasket, said cam means bein subsequently adaptedunder the urge of its spring load to encounter said annular grove andforce said plug toward said gasket with its end in tensional engagementtherewith.

5. In a device of the character described, a tubular plug member havinga seatin face on one end thereof and an annular engageable portionadjacent to said face with the beveled surface therebetween, a tubularsocket member having an internal shoulder, a gasket on said shoulderadapted to be engaged by said face, and oppositely disposed camjournaled in the wall of said socket member and extending into theinterior thereof, spring means connected to both said cams and tendingto urge them in a direction away from said shoulder, said cams havingsurfaces so arranged that when engaged by the end of said plug membersthey are cammed to positions providing a path for said plug to traverseand engage said gasket, said cams being adapted to be moved by saidspring means to engage said engageable portion and force said plugmember endwise, thereby compressing said gasket and effecting a sealbetween said members.

6. The combination according to claim 5, in which each of said cammembers has associated therewith at least one lever, said levers beingadapted to be manually moved in a direction to cause said cam torotatively move toward said shoulder and be disengaged from saidengageable portion of said plug member, thereby permitting the latter tobe freely removed from said tubular socket member. g

7. The combination according to claim 5, in which each of said cammembers has associated therewith at least two levers, one pair of saidlevers being adapted to be'manually moved in a direction to cause saidcam to rotatively move away from said shoulder for forcing the end ofsaid plug member into greater tensional engagement with said gasket whensaid device is used to handle abnormal fluid pressures, and the otherpair being adapted to be manually moved in a direction to cause said camto rotatively move toward said shoulder and be disengaged from saidengageable portion of the plug member when the latter is to be removedfrom said tubular socket member.

JOHN T. KRAPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,646,873 Richards Oct. 25, 19272,033,142 Lewis Mar. 10, 1936 2,187,119 Fish Jan. 16, 1940

